Methods in open policy analysis: An application to California's building energy codes

Publication Date

1-1-2023

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Contemporary Economic Policy

DOI

10.1111/coep.12610

Abstract

Have building energy codes lowered energy consumption, and have their benefits outweighed costs? Using 2000 Census data, I estimate household energy expenditures by decade of home construction, controlling for household and home characteristics. I find homes built in the 1980s used $35 less in electricity and $46 less in natural gas, per year, compared to 1970s era homes. For Sacramento, energy codes pass a cost-benefit test when low-end policy costs are used, but fail with base-case costs. This study also clarifies how a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for a representative household fits into a comprehensive CBA.

Keywords

energy, environment, housing, regulation, urban

Department

Economics

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